Would a system like this work?

[Nixson]

Hi,
i have a few questions for my planned "coral farm".

I'd like to use a refrigium that is indoors and kept at 24 C, and a series of rectangualr containers ( where the corals will be) that are under direct sulight for the day. The refrigium will contain 80-90% of the water so that the whole system will not overheat. The rectangualr containers will only have a couple of inches of water and will have water contantly flowing into them from the refrigium.
I will be using clean water from the ocean and top up water will be done with RO water.
The system will be set up in the Caribbean (Trinidad) and i'm hoping to propogate local sepcies of coral.
My refrigium will have half live sand, and half live mud (collected from a mangrove) and lots of macro algea.

i think my problems are as follows:

1. the direct sunlight may bleach my corals.
( i'd try to limit the hours in the day that they are exposed )

2. the yellow light will cause excessive algea in the grow out tanks.
(i'm hoping zero nitrates, phosphates and lots of macro algea in the refrigium will prevent this)

3. my planned water level in the grow out containers, is too low and will not filter the sunlight, and provide the wrong wavelenght of light.
( was planning on using a UV screen)

would this system work?? do you have an suggestions?
thank you very much.

[chrisblore]

My recommendation is to read Anthony Calfo's excellent book (http://www.readingtrees.com) and you will find out a lot of what you need to know. As far as the suitability of your system is concerned, it is rather intriguing but I live in the UK so obviously do not have much experience in the finer details of it. Remember to start small and work up from there.
Hope this helps
Chris

[sharkdude]

I can't remember the user name, but there is/was a guy on reefs.org who lives in the phillippines and grows coral frags in an outdoor tub system with great success. He collects wild already broken frags and glues them to homemade bases. I believe all his tubs are outdoors with some shade cloth. He even has a gravity fed airstone skimmer.
He uses urchins for algae control.

maybe try a search for 'phillippines' on reefs.org

I'll look too to see if I can find for you.

[Nixson]

thanx chrisblor for teh advice, i have actually ordered that book and its on the way. i can't wait- it will be my christmas reading.

sharkdude, i'm not sure i understand: urchins eat algea?
cause then i got a defetive one!!! thanx though- i'll check the guy out.

[sharkdude]

I searched but could not find the user or post I was thinking of.

I was hoping someone else would remember the same and know the site.

It was a cery simple setup with 3-4 cascading tubs and return pump and gravity fed skimmer in last tub.

Just be sure and use some shade cloth or place in location where it gets direct sun for part day.

Some urchin species graze on coralline, others on film algae, and the purple ones we have here in loacl california waters eat kelp.

Experiment and share your success and problems with us when you do.

Good luck.